Magnetic chance device



April 26, 1955 J. J. CUNNINGHAM MAGNETIC came: DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1952 INVENT OR W m m W w United States Patent MAGNETIC CHANCE DEVICE John J. Cunningham, Manchester, N. H.

Application October 23, 1952, Serial No. 316,471

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-138) My invention relates to magnetic toys or games which may be played by two teams each composed of one or more players or by a single player.

The invention comprises a body having a flat circular surface on its upper face covered by a transparent dome which encloses at least two independently movable game pieces capable of rolling or sliding over the fiat surface and of being attracted and held in different positions by one or more of an annular series of permanent bar magnets arranged in radially disposed and circumferentially spaced positions beneath the outer portion of the flat surface. the body being of a size to be held in the players hand while being shaken to agitate the metal balls or other game pieces and then placed in a horizontal position so that the balls may come to rest over one or more of the magnets which are given different values according to the game to be played with the toy.

One object of the invention is to provide a toy or game of the character which is interesting and amusing and at the same time of simple and inexpensive construction.

Another object is to provide a toy of this character by which the game of base ball may be played in a realistic manner.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of the invention designed to play base ball;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. I, one of the balls being in a position different from that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the device showing the preferred arrangement of the magnets;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of another form of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the bar magnets.

Referring more in detail to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings the numeral denotes as a whole the generally fiat body of the device. It is preferably square with its sides about 3 /2" long so that it may be held in the hand and shaken to agitate metallic game pieces 11 confined within a circular transparent dome 12 fixed centrally on the top of the body over a flat circular top area 13. Beneath the latter is an annular series of rectangular bar magnets 14, the fluxes of which act on the pieces 11 as they roll or slide over the area 13. The pieces 11 are preferably about steel balls but they may take other forms that will roll or slide freely over the surface 13. The magnets are preferably about i wide and /2" long and they are disposed radially to extend inwardly from the outer edge of the circular area 13. Four of the magnets are preferably employed and they are spaced 90 apart, as seen in Fig. 3. Two of the balls 11 are preferably used, and after the device is shaken and then held in a horizontal position or placed with the flat bottom 15 of the body on a table or other horizontal support, the balls will come to rest either both in radially alined positions over one of the magnets, as shown in Fig. 4, or in separated positions over two of the magnets and above either the positive or the negative pole of a magnet, as will be understood upon reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 4. In Fig. l the two balls are held by diagonally opposite magnets over their poles nearest to the circular wall of the dome. In Fig. 2 the two balls are also held by diagonally opposite magnets but the ball at the left is over the magnet pole remote from the circular wall while the other ball is over the magnet pole adjacent to that wall. In Fig. 4 both balls 11 are held by the same magnet and because the length of the latter is disposed radially, the magnetic fiux will cause the balls to assume the radially alined position shown in Fig. 4. That position of the balls does not occur as often as the positioning of them on separate magnets; and the radially alined positioning of the balls may be given a different and higher game value in playing the game than that given when the balls are over different magnets.

The body 10 is preferably composed of a relatively thick base member 16 of wood or other non-magnetic material, a thin intermediate member 17 of heavy paper or cardboard and a somewhat thicker top member 18 of cardboard or the like. In the top of the base 16 are formed recesses 19 shaped to receive the magnets, the latter being held therein by the intermediate member 17 which provides the flat area 13. The top member is formed with a central circular opening 20 of a size to receive the dome 12, the latter having a circular side wall formed at its bottom with an annular outwardly projecting flange 21 which under-ties the top member and holds the dome fixed. The surfaces of the members are shellacked and shellac or any suitable adhesive may be used to fasten the parts together. The dome 12 is preferably made of a transparent plastic and may have a flat top as shown.

In order to play a game with the device, the magnets are given different values and suitable indicia 22 are associated with them. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the device may be used to play the game of baseball and the indicia 22 designate the four corners of a baseball diamond, being 1 Base," 2 Base, 3 Base," and Home. The indicia are preferably placed on the top member at the four corners of the body. When the device is to be thus used, I preferably fasten to it a score board 23 as shown in Fig. 1. It may be in the form of a rectangular piece of slate or other sheet material on which slate or crayon marks may be applied and easily erased. It is preferably fixed to the body to project laterally therefrom by fastening one of its edges in a groove 24 in a side edge of the body and extending from end to end of that edge.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 is of the same construction as the one above described except that the score board is omitted and other indicia are used. Such indicia may take the form of the letters N, S," E and W designating the four points of the compass, as indicated at 22 or the form of the arbitrary numbers such as "4, 5, 7, and 8, as indicated at 22'; or both sets of indicia may be used. It will be noted that the longitudinally elongated magnets extend radially inward from the plane of the circular side wall of the dome to only a limited extent but each is of sufiicient length to cause its magnetic flux to hold the two balls in radially alined positions adjacent the side wall should both of the balls be attracted by the same magnet. When the device is shaken the balls bounce around within the dome and when it is then placed in a horizontal position the balls continue to roll over and around the circular area until they are attracted and held by one or more of the magnets. Since the balls may come to rest in various positions adjacent the indicia and the latter may be given various values, many different games may be played by using the toy.

In order to make the use of the device more interesting, one or more of the magnets may be caused to exert a smaller effective flux on the balls than the remaining magnets. That may be done by using a thinner magnet or by covering the top of the selected magnet with a thin sheet 25 of paper or other non-magnetic material so as to reduce the effective flux of such magnet.

Various games may be played with each of the two illustrated embodiments of the invention, but the first one is particularly adapted for playing baseball. In doing so, the players may have two or more on each side to represent the two teams. The shaking or swinging of the device by a player would correspond to the swinging of the bat at a pitched ball, and the positions of the steel balls when they come to rest would determine the result of the swing. If both balls stopped on 1 Base," 2 Base, or 3 Base," it would be a safe hit, but if the two balls were separated when they stopped, the player or batter would be out" and the next player on the team first at the bat would use the device. If both balls stopped on Home and it was that players first time at the bat" in that inning a home run would be scored, but if it was the player's second time at the bat in the same inning, it would only count as a score. Various rules of this character may be used. One way of using the form shown in Fig. 4 would be for a player to select, before he shakes the device, one of the four corners N, S," E, or W," and if both balls stopped on the selected magnet, the number at that corner would be noted on a score sheet or pegged on a peg board.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A game device to be shaken while held in the hand and to be then disposed horizontally in a stationary position, comprising a body of a size to be held by the fingers in one hand and having a flat top, a dome of transparent material fixed central on said top and having a circular side wall rising from the latter, at least two magnetic metal game pieces confined in said dome and limited in free movement on said top by said side wall, an annular series of elongated bar magnets equally spaced and set in said body beneath the circular area of its top portion enclosed by said side wall, said magnets being of longitudinally elongated shape and extending radially inward from the plane of said side wall, the length of each of said magnets being such that if two of the metal game pieces are held by the magnetic flux of any one of the magnets they will be held in radially alined positions adjacent said side Wall, and indicia associated with each magnet and arranged on said top at the exterior of said side wall of the dome.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said body comprises a relatively thick rectangular base with a flat top, a thin sheet of non-magnetic material covering the top of the base and adhesively secured thereto and a top member corresponding in outline to said base and adhesively secured to said sheet, said top member having a central circular opening of a diameter to receive the said circular side wall of said dome, said side wall having at its bottom an outwardly extending flange to underlie said top member whereby the dome is fixed to the body, said base member having in its top an annular series of recesses radially disposed and of elongated form to receive thc said bar magnets, the latter being retained in said recesses by said sheet.

3. The structure of claim 2 together with a thin sheet of non-magnetic material disposed in at least one of said recesses and covering the top of the bar magnet therein to reduce the magnetic flux of that magnet acting on said game pieces.

4. A small economical game device which may be carried in ones pocket and used at any place and which is to be shaken while held in the hand and to be then disposed horizontally in a stationary position, comprising a body of a size to be held by the fingers of one hand, said body consisting of a relatively thick substantially square base with a flat top, a thin sheet of non-magnetic material covering the top of the base and adhesively secured thereto and a top member corresponding in outline to said base and adhesively secured to said sheet, a dome of trans parent material disposed centrally over the top of said body and having a circular side wall rising from the latter, said top member having a central circular opening to receive said side wall and the latter having at its bottom an outwardly extending flange underlying said top member whereby the dome is fixed to the body, said base having in its top an annular series of rectangular recesses which extend radially inward from the plane of said circular wall. a flat rectangular bar magnet in each of said recesses and held therein by the overlying sheet of non-magnetic material, at least two balls of magnetic metal confined in said dome and limited in rolling movement on the fiat top of the body by said side wall, the length of each of said magnets being such that two of the balls may be held by the magnetic flux of any one of the magnets in radially alined positions adjacent said side wall when the device is disposed in a stationary horizontal position, and indicia associated with each magnet and arranged on the op of the body at the exterior of said side wall of the ome.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 669,511 Dahis et al Mar. 12, 1901 696,602 Singer Apr. 1, 1902 1,710,773 Jewett Apr. 30, 1929 1,899,546 Wilson Feb. 28, 1933 2,261,709 Wright Nov. 4, 1941 2,619,349 Abrahamson Nov. 25, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 580,925 Great Britain Sept. 25, 1946 

